A small jet en route from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas crashed Sunday in South Florida, killing nine people, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed.
The Learjet 60 crashed around 12:50 p.m. in Greenacres, Fla., about 4 miles south of President Donald J. Trump International Airport, WPTV-TV in West Palm Beach reporte
The crash happened near the intersection of a busy residential and business area, causing thick smoke to billow into the sky, WPEC-TV in West Palm Beach reported.
Duffy confirmed the deaths of all nine people aboard the plane in a post to X, calling it “a horrific tragedy.”
The FAA said the plane departed from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and was en route to North Eleuthera Airport in the Bahamas.
Prior to the crash, a female pilot radioed air traffic controllers that the plane encountered rain and “light, clear ice that is manageable and moderate turbulence,” according to communication between the pilot and air traffic controllers in Miami on Sunday afternoon, The New York Times reported.
According to The Times, “The pilot asked if she could climb to 37,000 feet, but soon after, she desperately declared mayday, a life-threatening emergency, to air traffic controllers.
She screamed that the plane was “descending 20,000 feet per minute.”
The Time said the pilot radioed, “We’re going to crash into the ground” … before shrieking, ‘We’re going to die!’”
The aircraft was a twin-engine business jet registered to a company in Wilmington, Del.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said it’s investigating the crash. Officers closed off affected roadways and told motorists to avoid the area. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board were also investigating.
Governor Ron DeSantis joined local officials to give an update and address the community. The crash caused significant debris, damage to surrounding infrastructure, and prompted road closures and evacuations in the adjacent community. Approximately 600 residents are being assisted with temporary shelter and other essential needs.
